Their Undivided Attention

I took this photo during our Farewell Celebration for our host families in Mpumalanga, South Africa on March 22, 2012, day before I was to be sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer in South Africa. Staring from the back, I was in awe at the attentiveness of these young boys. They did not move the entire time as a fellow Volunteer read a speech in the local, Sepedi, language. Soon, I began to notice that for every speech being read, every performance, story, or line spoken, these boys and the rest of the children were just mesmerized by us. I knew from then I wanted, more than anything, to work with the youth of South Africa. If they are willing to listen, I would be beyond eager to teach. HIV/AIDS does not have to strip away the futures of this next generation...and it won't. Empowering youth through education is the only way to combat this disease. And with such eager learners, eradication may be possible one day.